Shipping-crate.



s. 3.1915.. 1,204,978. 'Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

gwuenfo'. A Z712? Hanf/eey,

FREDERICK P. HANCEY, 0F KEIVIMEREB, WYOMING.

SHIPPING-CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

Application led February 23, 1915. Serial No. 10,054.

To @ZZ 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FREDERICK P. HAN- CEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Kemmerer, in the county of Lincoln and State ofVyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Crates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention` such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to shipping crates for shipping fragile articlessuch as eggs or the like and the primary object of the invention is theprovision of a shipping crate as specified which is constructed forproviding a plurality of cells or compartments which are divided fromeach other by double walls, which walls are spaced from each other toprevent the engagement of the articles to be shipped, one with thearticle in the cell or compartment next thereto.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a plurality ofstrips of card board or similar material which are provided with slotsfor interlocking the strips and which strips are further provided withslits formed therein to permit the walls to conform to the shape of thearticle inserted therein for shipment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view this invention consists insuch novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1is a perspective view of a fragment of the improved shipping crate. Fig.2 is a plan view of one of the strips employed in the construction ofthe crate, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of another of the strips used inthe construction of the crate.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designatesthe cells orcompartments of the shipping crate as an entirety, which cells orcompartments are formed by the inter-locking connection of strips 2 and3, which strips are positioned at right angles to each other for formingsubstantially square compartments. The strips 2 are pro..

vided with slits 4 and 5 extending inwardly .from their marginal edges,the slits 5 being disposed alternately with respect to the slits 4 andextending inwardly from one edge of the strip 2 while the slits 4 extendinwardly from the opposite edge of the strip as is clearly shown in Fig.2 of the drawing. The strips 8 are provided with inwardly extendingslits 6, lwhich are arranged in pairs and all extend inwardly from oneedge of the strips as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. By thepeculiar formation of the slits 4, 5 and 6 in the various strips 2 and3, the strips are connected in inter-locking engagement with each otherfor forming cells or compartments as is clearly shown in Fig. l of thedrawings. The strips 3 are provided with the slits 6 arranged in pairs,for the reception of the strips 2 which are disposed aty right angles tothe strip 3 for spacing two of the strips 2 in close proximity to eachother upon all of the sides of each compartment for leaving a space asis indicated at 8 between the adjacent compartment so as to prevent anyarticle such as eggs or the like which is mounted inthe variouscompartments for shipping from engaging the eggs or article in thecompartment next thereto. In assembling the devices, the strips 3 havethe strips 2 arranged in their alternatingly arranged slits so as toform double walls as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The various strips 2 and 3 are provided with extending slits 9 and 10therein substantially intermediate of the marginal slits 4, 5 and 6 asis clearly shown in the drawings. The slits 9 and 10 do not extend tothe margin of the strips and they terminate in circular openings 11,which openings are provided for preventing the tearing of the strips atthe terminals of the slits 9 and 10. The slits 9 and 10 are provided forpermitting the walls of the various compartments to shape themselves forconformity to the shape of the article which is placed therein forshipment. The outside walls of the outside compartments are formed of asingle strip and the ends of the various other strips of which the crateis formed project beyond the outermost walls so as to space the outerwalls from a casing (not shown) which is mounted upon the compartmentduring shipment.

In reducing the invention to practice cer? strips each being providedwith `slits elitending inwardly from one of its edges and some of theslits being arranged in pairs, said second series of strips beingarranged at right angles to the first series and interlocking with theslits in the upper and lower edge of the iirst series.

In'testimony whereof I afiX iny signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK P. HANCEY. l/Vitnesses:

H. R. CHRISTMAS, MARY E. HANCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents; each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patente Washington, D. C.

